Special Series

A message from GSI's Bob Koerner, "Two years ago we offered to the academic community a free CD on 'Introduction to Geosynthetics.' We gave out about 500 of them and many faculty requested greater detail. Last year we gave out about 300 copies of a second geosynthetics-related CD containing three separate presentations; Reinforced Walls, Landfill Expansions, and Dam Waterproofing. Many said that this is what they really wanted. Thus, we now offered a third geosynthetics-related CD. This one also has three presentations; the topics being GCLs on Slopes, Erosion Control, and Bioreactor Landfills. These CDs are now available to everyone interested. They are all about 1-hour long and each screen has a brief voice-over which you can use or not. They are all completely generic and free and we ask you to let us know which one you want; you can have all three if you so desire. I hope you can use them in your work or presentations to other. Please respond by email to mvashley@verizon.net and, most importantly, give us your postal address. Learn more here.;

gsa Underwriter, Terrafix, is now a 12.45% owner of Bentofix Technologies Inc. The balance of the company portions out at 12.45% Albarrie, 24.9% Naue and 50.1% GSE.

Company Continues Growth and Diversification June 29, 2005--CONTECH Construction Products Inc. announced today that it has reached agreement to purchase CON/SPAN(R) Bridge Systems Ltd. of Dayton, Ohio and BridgeTek LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio. The two deals were recently signed and the actual closing of the transaction will occur in mid July. Terms of the transaction were not released. CON/SPAN(R) is the industry leader in the design, development, promotion and licensor of precast concrete bridge system technologies. BridgeTek is the largest licensee of CON/SPAN(R) technology and is primarily engaged in the business of marketing, selling and fabricating precast concrete bridge systems. Learn more here.;

AMCOL International Corporation (owners of gsa Underwriter CETCO) will hold a conference call to discuss second quarter results on Friday, July 22, 2005 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Please RSVP for this conference call by calling Terri Cardona at 847.818.7936 or E-mail: terri.cardona@amcol.com. Please remember to RSVP, as only those participants who register will be allowed on the call. The call-in number for the conference is: (800) 210-9006 The passcode is 9822348. Please call approximately 10 minutes before start time. The call-in number for digital replay is (888) 203-1112, passcode 9822348. The instant replay will be available the morning after the call and live until 7/29/05. The call transcript will be posted on the AMCOL Int’l website approximately one week after the call.

From Roger Adshead, Publisher, World Highways: As part of a programme to extend the editorial service offered by World Highways and other Route One Publishing titles, Alan Peterson has been appointed Editorial Director. In this position he will play a key role in plans to add value to the existing editorial coverage and identify new areas for expansion. He and Deputy Editor Patrick Smith will be working closely with new Editor, Mike Woof, an experienced international off-highway equipment journalist and formerly Editor of World Mining Equipment. The changes take effect immediately. “My eight years in the Editor’s chair has been immensely enjoyable as well as challenging. Now is the time to turn over day-to-day management to someone who has the credentials and experience to take the magazine into a new chapter in its history,” said Peterson. Mike Woof said, “I am having to relearn a lot of ground I’ve covered before and learning new subjects, so working closely with Alan and Pat allows me to benefit from their experience.” He can be contacted at mwoof@ropl.com.

Secretary Fred Foubert reports on the latest standards meeting held in Gent, Belgium on 9th and 10th of June 2005.

Is your company listed in the European Plastics & Rubber Directory? There is no charge for a standard entry with up to 5 class codes! Your company can be at the fingertips of key buyers and specifiers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! To create an entry for your company go to the link below and click on ‘Register New Company.' Learn more here.;

Robert Mackey is attempting to review the current issues regarding “engineering education, geosynthetic education and design applications.” His effort would be greatly enhanced by the opinions of other members of NAGS. Please take some time to complete the survey at the link below and return it to bmackey@s2li.com.

Can we "see" what is happening to other layers of geosynthetics under a geomembrane without removing the geomembrane? Ian Peggs of I-CORP INTERNATIONAL asks this question and demonstrates the answer.

The Department of Water Affairs & Forestry’s Third Edition of the Minimum Requirements for Waste Management will be launched at a workshop to be held at the LIG Landfill 2005 Seminar in Durban in October 2005. For an abstract of the book's contents, please go to the "continued" link below. For more information on the Landfill 2005 Seminar, please cut and paste the following link into your browser: https://www.geosynthetica.net/calendar.asp?search_key=c415

During Geo-Frontiers there was considerable discussion on the locations and causes of leaks in geomembrane lining systems. This information has been clearly summarized by Nosko et al in the following figure and tables…

Put on your thinking caps and think outside the box! A plastic that stretches up to 100% of its original length when an electric current is applied to it has been developed by a Japanese research group from Yamanashi University. Instead of the usual procedure of having the polypyrrole immersed in a liquid electrolyte to function, it can be operated in air.

Why, out of over three hundred Exhibitors at AWWA's Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco last week, only five geosynthetic companies had booths? We hear the future is all about potable water - reservoirs are the next big thing in geomembranes. It's time to represent.

ASTM International offers a 3-day training course, “An Introduction to Major Testing Techniques for Plastics”. This course gives you an introduction to the basic principles, techniques, and equipment for the most commonly-used physical and analytical tests on polymeric materials, including: mechanical properties, chemical analysis, combustibility, instrumental analysis, and thermal aging. Technicians, shop foremen, sales representatives, professionals new to the field of testing, laboratory supervisors and managers accountable for quality assurance, and anyone who needs knowledge of standardized test methods will find this course especially beneficial. Learn more here.;

IGS Editor, Karina McInnis, gives a short report on the history of the Mercer Lecture, and where this year's presenter, J-P. Giroud, will be for his lecture, Contribution of Geosynthetics to the Geotechnical Aspects of Waste and Liquid Containment. Please scroll to page 7 of the .pdf (link below). Learn more here.;

As of May 3, 2004, GRI-GM18 is temporarily suspended. The durability portion of this generic specification on flexible polypropylene geomembranes has come into question insofar as oxidation induction time values are concerned. OIT testing has proven to be an excellent precursor of polyethylene lifetime such that a relatively quick and standardized test is being used in this regard. It is apparently more difficult for fPP due in part that colors in addition to black complicate the situation making it difficult to set generic specification limits. Flexible polypropylene (fPP) research is ongoing in this regard. Candidate immersion methods are ultraviolet light exposure, oven aging, and water immersion. Initial testing will be Xenon Arc ultraviolet light exposure per ASTM D4355. Please contact any of the following for comments and/or questions in this regard: Robert M. Koerner - robert.koerner@coe.drexel.edu, George R. Koerner - gkoerner@dca.net, Y. Grace Hsuan - grace.hsuan@coe.drexel.edu

The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) is pleased to announce that Andrew Aho has joined their staff as the new Managing Director. Aho has held senior level positions in association management, sales and marketing, as well as business development. He has participated in legislative policy development and implementation, the management of lobbying and government affairs staff, and has published several articles in professional journals. GMA is excited to have Aho join their staff and feels confident that his communication skills and entrepreneurial talent will be great assets for the association. GMA is a unique, consensus-building organization that promotes the technical and economic benefits of geosynthetics to the user community and, in turn, assists in building stronger civil infrastructures in a cost-efficient manner. GMA members are recognized as contributors to the geosynthetic industry's growth and industry’s future.

GRI White Paper #6 on Geomembrane Lifetime Prediction: Unexposed and Exposed Conditions, by Robert M. Koerner, Y. Grace Hsuan and George R. Koerner of the Geosynthetic Institute is now available. Learn more here.;

As a result of White Paper #5, the new GRI-GCL3 Standard Specification for Test Methods, Required Properties, and Testing Frequencies of Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCLs) is now available. The new specification can be found at the "continued" link below; Whte Paper #5 can be found by cutting and pasting the following link into your browser: https://www.geosynthetica.net/tech_docs/GRIWhitePaper5.asp Learn more here.;

I-CORP INTERNATIONAL, Ocean Ridge, FL, and Apogee Scientific, Littleton, CO, have formed a strategic alliance to provide infrared spectroscopy methane/CO2/CO gas surveys to locate leaks in landfill geomembrane caps, particularly those that do not lend themselves to the conventional electrical leak location survey technology...

During the AWWA Conference in San Francisco, CA., the AWWA Standard M25 Committee on "Flexible-Membrane Covers and Linings for Potable-Water Reservoirs" will be gathering on Wednesday, 14 June 2005. Please contact: Doug Hilts, 951 265 4034, for more information.

GIGSA's June 2005 Newsletter is now available. Topics include: Engineered Linings – 21 Years Of Continuous Business; Sans 10409; Kaytech’s SealgridTM; Giroud Mercer Lecture to be delivered at "Landfill 2005," and more…

Hoofddorp -- DuPontSA, formerly a 50/50 Joint Venture Company of DuPont de Nemours and Sabanci Holding, now wholly owned by Sabanci Holding, has changed its name: today, ADVANSA is unveiling its new identity and is writing a new page in its history. As a symbol of an enterprise that is moving forward, the name ADVANSA stands for a genuine change catalyst, conveying the values of a reliable, responsive, attentive and multi-cultural enterprise. ADVANSA offers its clients not only flawless polyester quality but also a new approach to their challenges. As a major player in its sector, the company fully intends to strengthen its leadership position in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Thanks to the skills of its teams and its policy of investing in manufacturing and R&D, ADVANSA continues to pursue its growth strategy while maintaining its pioneering values and commitment to corporate responsibility. As a true partner of its customers, ADVANSA will continue to support them by supplying not only high-quality raw materials, resins, and specialty fibres that are at the cutting edge of innovation, but will develop customised solutions that are perfectly adapted to their needs. ADVANSA looks towards the future with total confidence based on the strength of the DuPont technology heritage and Sabanci's industrial might. The reputation it has built up through its know-how in the fibres, resins, and intermediate products it has been producing and marketing since its inception underlines this confidence in the future. As ADVANSA CEO Wahid Tawfik points out, "we will continue to provide our clients with innovative, high-quality and high value products. In a highly competitive and constantly changing market, our aim is to strengthen our position in Europe by investing in R&D and by continuously fine-tuning our manufacturing facilities. Our potential and our competencies are the bedrock of the future of our enterprise. We have every intention of leveraging the outstanding reputation of our key company assets – our products and our people". Source: DuPontSA

ASTM Committee D35 on Geosynthetics will present a workshop on the possibility of creating a Geogrid Aperture Stability standard during the June Committee Week in Reno, Nev. The workshop will take place June 15 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Steve Valero, Vice President - Technology, Tensar, will chair the workshop. Valero promises a productive and lively workshop that will be focused on educating all attendees on the process, purpose and application of an aperture stability test. Presenters will include academics/researchers, as well as representatives of testing labs and materials manufacturers. "The ultimate goal of this meeting is to begin to identify the consensus of the group as it relates to the development of a standard for this test method," says Valero. According to Valero, the proposed standard will be designed to measure geogrid aperture resistance to torsion force, similar to that induced on aggregate by rolling wheel loads. For further technical information, contact Steve Valero, Tensar Earth Technologies, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. (phone: 404/250-1290; mailto:svalero@tensarcorp.com). Committee D35 meets June 15-17, in Reno, Nev. For membership or meeting details, contact Christine Sierk, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9728; csierk@astm.org/). Please go to the "continued" link for a full schedule of the D35 Meeting in Reno. Learn more here.;

The two IFAI International Achievement Awards in Geosynthetics went to American Parking Solutions/TemPark (where gsa's Terrafix and I-CORP INTERNATIONAL were involved), and Jones Edmunds & Associates.